Weighted flush tank valve



y 4, 1950 c. HOERIG WEIGHTED FLUSH TANK VALVE Filed Feb. 2. 1948 Fig./l

Clifford Hoar/g INVENTOR.

9 BY an! WFM Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEIGHTED FLUSH TANK VALVE Glifiord Hoerig, Hempstead, N. Y.

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,861

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved ball'type flush tank valve and has more particular reference to weight means which is properly associable with the valve to expedite and improve the operation of said valve.

One object of the invention is to provide a lead weight which functions as sinker and which, in conjunction with the valve and its guide rod, imposes an extra load on said parts and, in so doing, insures effective seating of the valve, whereby to provide a constant seal and to reduce leaks, at this point, to a minimum, resulting in an appreciable saving of water.

Another object of the invention is to apply a simple weight to the ball tank valve and its stem or rod to speed up the closing operation and time required to seat the valve, whereby the user may hold the usual trip handle down, keep the valve open until sufiicient water has escaped from the flush tank to properly scavenge and clean the bowl, and then let go of the lever so as to permit the weighted valve to plunge straight down and rapidly to an effective closing position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple freely slidable lead weight or sinker whose presence on the valve assists in guiding and directing the valve in its descending operation, whereby to quickly seat the valve, to prevent it from being cooked, and to thus check the outflow of water from the tank quickly and efv fectively, again resulting in water saving.

A still further object of the invention is to supply weight means for the tank valve which may be used in connection with conventional types such as are now sold and which usually comprise a rubber or equivalent so-called tank ball and a guide and assembling rod, the rod being threaded into a coupling provided in the neck portion of the valve, said weight being centrally apertured to enable same to be freely slidable on the rod and to come to rest on the adjacent end of the ball valve.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a flush tank of a conventional type with essential internal parts and particularly showing the ball tank valve and the improved weight means associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the valve, its rod or stem, and the associated weight;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the invention itself.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals it will be seen, in Figure 1, that the flush tank is conventional and denoted by the reference character Aand that B denotes an overflow pipecarrying a bracket C with a guide D. The discharge pipe attached to the bottom of the tank and emptying into the commode bowl (not shown) is denoted by the numeral E and the vinteriorly located portion, constituting the seat is denoted by reference character F. Other old parts comprise the trip lever or handle G, actuator H and usual eye equipped L-shaped link I which controls the tank,

valve means J. The assembly J comprises the customary rod 5 which is screw-threaded as atfi (see Figure 3), and is threaded into a screwthreaded socket provided thereforin theneck;

portion 1 of a conventional type tank ball or socalled valve 8. The stem-or rod is provided with the customary eye 9 at its upper end and said rod is slidable through an eye III on the link I.

The weight is denoted at H and is a noncorrodible annulus having fiat top and bottom surfaces with downwardly tapering marginal surfaces. The weight is provided with a central vertical opening I2 between the fiat opposite surfaces. The diameter of the opening is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the stem 5 to permit a free sliding movement of the weight on the stem. This enables the user to easily mount the weight on the stem of a conventional flush tank valve.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the gist of the invention resides in providing a lead or equivalent weight which is approximately 2 ounces and which is applied as shown in Figure 3. To accomplish this it is necessary to detach the screw-threaded portion 6 of the rod or stem 5 from the ball valve. Then the threaded end of the rod is passed through the passage or bore l2 in the weight and is again screwed into place. This places the weight in the position shown in Figure 3 where it accomplishes the expected results.

It is submitted that the invention, the simple weight, used as herein shown and described, will work to the benefit of persons who have cesspools and the like and for those who have to pump their own water from limited supplies, as well as people whose bills are established by calculations of water meters.

A person using a weighted tank valve as herein shown and described may simply hold the lever G down, keep the tank ball up and open until sufficient water has discharged from the tank into the bowl to flush the same clean. Then, by releasing the lever, the weighted ball would immediately sink to closing position, out off the further discharge of water and save a certain amount of water in the tank. I have figured that in ordinary circumstances where modern installations are utilized, the weight if included would save approximately ten thousand gallons of 1 has heretofore provided a, weight which could be applied to present day assemblies of the type shown at J in Figure 2. I am aware, of course;

of the presence of weighted ball valves in flush tanks and am familiar with Patent 1,718,744 of June 25, 1929 showing the weight formed integral with the upper end of a rodwhich rod is attach-ed to the .ball valve wherein the weight is socketed torprovide for accommodation of an extra rod member.. Such isznot to be compared with my collar type weight fitted'removably on a stem which-is detachably connected with a ball valve.

I am also acquainted with the provision of a weight directly in a ball valve such as covered in a flush valve construction in Patent 2,068,158 of January 19, 1937. Here again there is a wide difference over the idea of building the weight into aball, and simply placing a collar weight'again'st a ball and around a-separable stem.

The simplicity of the invention being as it is, I find it not altogether necessary to dwell at great length upon other phases of the matter in the present paper.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sulficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long asv no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

For use Withfa flush tank having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof and provided with a valve seat, a flush valve adapted to close the outlet opening in said seat, said valve having a REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ONeill et al. Aug. 8, 1939 

